Get your Christmas on and start crafting

11 December 2015

With all the warm and positive energy in the air, the time before Christmas is special for every family, especially for children. When it comes to crafts and creativity – this is the time to show what you got.

Family preparation for Christmas usually takes up the entire month and every family has its own 'rituals'. It is very important that each family member participates in the creation of this special atmosphere, especially children. Besides the fun factor, they will feel useful and connected with the rest of the family. You should give them the opportunity to make decisions, choose and create. The pre-Christmas time is a perfect time for creation and expression. So use it as much as you can.

MAKE A PLAN AND RECYCLE

Suggest to your child to make Christmas tree decorations together. Determine what kind of decorations you want, then make a plan. It would be good to use pedagogically unshaped materials, that is, to recycle. Use various boxes, paper, string, decorative paper, ribbons, toilet paper rolls and similar material. Gather all of it together, and enable your child to learn about recycling, responsibility and the importance of team work.

LISTEN TO YOUR CHILD

Talk about ideas, and consider your child's ideas very carefully – this encourages creativity and imagination. Also, it is a good way to build children's self-confidence and openness to new things and tasks.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLACE AND TIME

Choose the time in the day when you can commit to your Christmas decorations project together. When you arrange the details and gather all the materials, create a pleasant atmosphere by choosing the right music and place for work.

DIVIDE THE JOB EQUALLY

You should start the project in a way that everybody equally participates in all the activities. In this kind of atmosphere, children always give their best and are usually very happy that their work has a purpose and gets the deserved place in the home. You should be careful to encourage and praise your child. Encouragement makes children more focused and persistent.

MAKE THE NEXT TASK HARDER

It is useful to set a more difficult task to your child every time one task is absorbed. This way your project will not be just fun, but also challenging and good for the development of your child. Think of activities that include the development of fine motor skills and precision such as pulling string through holes, cutting, inserting and similar. Also, choose those activities that develop hand-eye coordination such as gluing, folding and coloring.

HAVE FUN AND LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Of course, all the activities should be fun enough so that your child enjoys them and doesn't give up. Also, your child learns according to a certain model. It is important to set a good example to your child and show how creative and persistent you are. Be careful when it comes to your attitude towards the project. Leave enough time for it and don't plan other activities – you will be patient and relaxed, and your child will feel it.

FINALLY, SHOW IT!

Store baubles, lollipop decorations, snowmen and angels somewhere safe and keep them there until Christmas Eve. The moment you start decorating your tree, both you and your child will feel very proud and accomplished. These are very important emotions that lead to creating a positive image of yourself, development of self-confidence, togetherness and positive attitude towards art. Considering that every decoration will have its special place, decorating your tree will really be a special occasion. Also, let your little one choose the place for your masterpieces. This is another small thing you can do to let children know their opinion is appreciated. In this way, they gain more self-confidence and have a better attitude toward new tasks.

Your Christmas tree will become a gallery for exhibiting your creations. Make this project the first one out of many future projects. After you see for yourself how much you've done for your child, you certainly won't lack motivation.